Review of The Phantom Wagon (1939) by Jonathan P — 19 Jun 2011

As we all know, only the cool kids know about Ingrid Bergman's masterpiece, The Seventh Seal. But before there was The Seventh Seal there was The Phantom Carriage.

It is close to midnight on New Year's Eve and 3 Drunkards get into a fight because one of the refuses to see a woman from the Salvation Army who is on her deathbed. The drunk, David Holm, is accidentally killed and is visited by the servant of Death who is replaced every year by the man who dies last on New Year's. It is through death that David must go on an emotional journey as he reflects his life of bitterness and revenge. David Holm's reason for revenge is a bit off. For some reson it doesn't seem like his descent into remorse and revenge is reasonable, but the rest of the story is pure brilliance. Spacifically it's 'story within a story' angle. Now I hate badmouthing people from the past, but people back then couldn't comprehend such stories. They liked their movie linear. But The Phantom Carriage's 'story within a story' angle is about as influencial as you could possibly get. But that's not all that makes this movie great. The character, Edit, who is the dying Salvation Army girl, tried to turn David from his bitter ways, and tried to reconnect him with his wife that left him, but regrets it because she blames herself for making David even more of a bitter man. The Phantom Carriage is an extremely unique look on morality and an entirely influencial story structure in cinema history.

I must say, for an old as fuck movie, it sure is directed very well. It must be because it's European. The cinematography is incredible. There are a bunch of different camera angles that isn't that common to see in old movies like these. And the way they are edited together is very smooth and well done. The movie is darkly lighted, giving off a very gothic appeal. All the shots are made to look like the rooms are only lighted by a single lightbulb of candlelight. Dark shadows and heavy light is a key look for this movie, and an influencial one as well. The sets look just as creepy and dreary too. The cinematography is beautiful, but the sets look absolutely depressing. This is a small little town where the story takes place. Now lets get talking about Death. What makes the look of Death in this movie so influencial is the human look. Death. or Death's assistant for that matter, used to be a man, like the look of The Seventh Seal's Death. All with a heavy cloak and syth, and a cool looking death carriage. And the effect used to make Death and David look dead and invisible is a cool (dated, but cool) effect. Now I don't know if it changes for every new edition, of if it's going to change in a future blu-ray release, but the score I heard, composed in 1998, was a very nice piece of music.

The Phantom Carriage may have it's flaws, but it is an extremely unique and influencial movie that modernized not only the look of movies but the way the narrative can be structured. It is also a pretty entertaining and intriguing story about morals that is quite appealing and original for it's time.